Anthony Polski, 41, a third-generation co-owner of Market Bar-B-Que, died on January 17, leaving a sudden and painful void in Minneapolis’s tight-knit restaurant community. Polski ran the family barbecue spot with his father and had long been a familiar face in the city’s dining scene. The family’s 79-year-old barbecue operation had closed its Lowry Avenue location just months before his death.
An obituary published by Hodroff-Epstein Memorial Chapel via Legacy.com states that Polski died by suicide at his home on January 17. The Twin Cities Business Journal first reported his death and notes that he ran Market Bar-B-Que alongside his father, Steve Polski. The obituary includes memorial details and a brief biography outlining his life and his work with the long-running family business.
Market Bar-B-Que’s Long Run And Recent Closure
Market Bar-B-Que began near the Minneapolis Farmers Market in 1946 and grew into a local institution over 79 years, eventually relocating from Nicollet’s Eat Street to Northeast Lowry Avenue in 2019. The restaurant’s move, along with the family’s effort to preserve the brick pit and other historic pieces, was documented by Eater Twin Cities. Local coverage in September reported that the Lowry property had been listed for sale and that the Market had shut after 79 years. MyNortheaster said the retail listing included fixtures and listed the business’s food trucks as negotiable assets.
Polski’s Place In The Family Business
Anthony expanded Market Bar-B-Que’s reach with a food truck launched in 2016 and helped take the brand to events and stadium concessions in recent years. The Twin Cities Business Journal reported that the Polskis ran the operation together and that the restaurant had paused operations at the Lowry location in recent months. With the building listed and operations on hold, the family’s future plans for the Market Bar-B-Que name remain unclear as the community focuses on remembering Polski’s contributions…